Are you absolutely terrified by the job search? We understand that finding the right role and company can be overwhelming, scary, and simply not fun. We’re digging deeper into media positions worldwide to find out where, why, when, and how young creatives accepted their first job offer.

We spoke with Aura 32 community member, Amy Rush, about her work at Kimley-Horn.

Aura 32: What is your current job title?

A32: What does a typical day look like in this position?

AR: Most of my work consists of producing marketing content alongside our Project Managers. This includes proposals, leave behinds, and anything else we can help with! My day-to-day changes depending on my workload, but most days involve drinking a lot of coffee, reviewing and editing content, coordinating with our graphic designers, joking around with my coworkers, and helping anywhere I can.

A32: Did you study this industry at university? Did you picture yourself in this role post-grad?

AR: I studied Communication Studies in college which is a mix of rhetoric, argumentation, and interpersonal communication. Although I didn’t necessarily study “marketing for professional services,” I do think a lot of what I learned in school directly correlates to what I’m doing now. In terms of what I thought I’d be doing post-grad, I don’t think I really knew what I’d be doing. I can’t say I saw myself doing this but talking with people every day and getting to flex my love for writing in my job are things I wanted to do and pictured myself doing.

A32: What was your work experience prior to holding this position?

AR: I had two professional internships during college – one was at a relocation company doing whatever they needed (updating databases, reaching out to realtors, researching cost estimates, etc.), and one was at Kimley-Horn in the same department I’m in now. I also tried to get involved whenever I could in college. I was a writer/editor/social media manager for Her Campus Cal Poly, the Marketing Director for a hackathon on campus, and an orientation leader one summer. Something to remember is that experience doesn’t have to mean an internship at a company; even an in-depth, semester long project can be work experience if you frame it right.

A32: How did you find this job opportunity?

AR: I have some family members that work in Kimley-Horn offices across the country and they always talked about how much they loved it. When it came time to apply for summer internships, I thought it’d be nice to be home in Minnesota and reached out to the local office. After my summer here, I had one more year of school; as the year wrapped up and I started applying to jobs, I thought about my experience at Kimley-Horn and all that I was able to do as even just an intern, and knew it would be a good place to start my professional career. So, I reached out to my supervisor from the summer to see if they had any openings available, they did, and here I am!

A32: How long were you actively job-searching before you were hired?

AR: I spent a lot of my senior year browsing LinkedIn and company websites, sometimes applying and sometimes just daydreaming about how cool a job sounded. I’d say I got pretty serious about it around four months out from graduation. However, from when I emailed my supervisor to when I got my offer letter, it was probably around a month!

A32: What was the application process like?

AR: For my internship, I filled out an application online, had a phone interview, and then flew out for an in-person interview. When it came to my full-time offer, it was all through emails and the phone. Since they already knew me and my work ethic and abilities, it wasn’t as formal as it would’ve been if I was coming into the company completely new.

A32: What advice do you have for our readers who may be looking for a job at your company or in this role?

AR: One of my biggest pieces of advice is to keep an open mind and look into any company that interests you; you never know what kind of position they might have open. It’s easy to come out of school and have laser focus on the “Dream Career” in your industry, but it’s important to realize that there are a lot of jobs you might be well-suited for that you never even knew existed. Marketing for professional services wasn’t even on my radar before my internship, but it’s a role that combines a lot of my skills in a way I didn’t know was possible.

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Olivia is presently pursuing a degree in Media Studies and Production with an Entrepreneurial focus as she navigates through the vast diversity of Philadelphia. A city girl at heart, she divvies up her free moments by exploring literature and music. On the unending quest to find the perfect pizza, Olivia holds a resolute passion for sports. She invites you to get lost in the wonderment of Aura 32, a project she impressively founded at age fifteen.